It is known that an ambient temperature, e.g. of a unit of a motor vehicle, is an important auxiliary quantity for a number of control, regulating, and monitoring operations. To process this auxiliary quantity, measuring systems are known via which an instantaneous ambient temperature is able to be measured. For this purpose, temperature sensors are known that, for example, supply a signal proportional to the actual temperature on the basis of temperature-dependent resistances.
It is also known to use gas sensors via which a gas composition of a medium, e.g. of the ambient air, is able to be measured. These gas sensors function, for example, according to the principle of variable resistances, e.g. on a metallic oxide basis, and need an operating temperature for this purpose. Therefore, it is known, to assign the gas sensors a heating element via which the gas sensors are able to be heated to the needed operating temperature.
Such gas sensors are used, for example, in air conditioning systems. In order to be able to perform a temperature measurement at the same time as the gas analysis, it is known to use a combined sensor element that includes the gas sensor as well as a temperature measurement sensor. In this context, it is disadvantageous that this system of two sensors based on different operating principles necessitates complicated adaptive work with regard to the set-up, control, and the like.